Emirates Lions celebrating their victory during the Super Rugby match between Emirates Lions and Rebels at Emirates Airline Park on March 16, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Gallo Images)
Staring down the barrel at half-time, the Lions produced a miraculous turnaround in the final 40 to claim a thrilling a 36-33 win over the Rebels at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The Rebels initially made a mockery of the Lions’ poor defence, running in four tries for a 26-5 lead as they bulldozed the hosts up front and had them in tatters.
Yet after scoring early again after the turnaround, the Australians’ discipline disintegrated as the Lions came roaring back with some familiar attacking verve.
They conceded an incredible 20 penalties, a toll that eventually led to two of their players spending time in the sin bin.
However, it still required a 80th minute penalty by reserve flyhalf Gianni Lombard – after a great scrum – to eventually save the day for the Lions.
Who was the star in this match?
The chaotic nature of the game truly made this a difficult exercise. The Rebels’ pack was outstanding in the first half and the halfback pairing of Will Genia and Quade Cooper pulled the strings well. However, they faded badly. The Lions were sparked to life by the injection of the experienced duo of Andries Coetzee and Lionel Mapoe.
Key moments and themes
Point scorers:
Lions – Tries: Malcolm Marx, Marnus Schoeman, Andries Coetzee, Lionel Mapoe, Courtnall Skosan. Conversions: Elton Jantjies (4). Penalty: Gianni Lombard.
Rebels – Tries: Reece Hodge, Billy Meakes, Quade Cooper, Isa Naisarani, Tom English. Conversions: Cooper (4).
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